Alas For Those That Never Sing

You’ve been alive for three and a half weeks now, and I haven’t tended you well. I’ve kept you a secret to everyone but David. Hardly anyone knows you exist.

You see, I’ve been afraid. I want to raise you up the right way and take care of you perfectly. But doing it perfectly has kept me from doing it at all.

I’ve slid into my beige tufted chair with my warm lemon water and a belly full of toast each morning. I rest my fingertips on the keys and suddenly I feel cold all over; my stomach knots and I am paralyzed by fear and doubt.

Will this be worthwhile? Is this purposeful? Are my words beautiful? Thick enough to move people?

And then I saw this quote, and it lit a spark in me:

“Alas for those that never sing, but die with all their music in them.”

– Oliver Wendell Holmes

And I thought of all the great artists, many of whom died before their work was recognized. And I thought what a shame it would be to lay my words to rest without giving God a chance to do with them what He wills.

Because that is what this blog is about in the end, really. Growing eyes to see what may seem plain to us as what God already calls beautiful.

So here is to singing with what God has given me: words. Here is to creating pitchy music on pages that, just maybe, God will help me make into something with the semblance of a symphony.

Related

I'm a creative writer living in Raleigh, NC who's passionate about helping women grow in intimacy with Christ. I'm a wife to David, reader, traveler, and healthy lifestyle advocate. I love being by the ocean, reading, exploring new places, and making avocado toast with unruly amounts of himalayan sea salt.

You may also like

2 Comments

That quote is beautiful and so true. I have often felt something similar to you, even though I’m two years into my blog. I wonder if it matters that I spend countless hours writing blog posts and improving my website. I wonder if I’m wasting my time and if I’m really even any good at what I do. Then I remember that there is someone that cares. His name is Jesus and He loves seeing me unleash my heart when I write. He loves the secret things that no one sees. Like how I get so passionate about what I produce for my blog that it makes me bawl. So at the end of the day, if no one else cares, I will create words and pictures that make my heart beat faster, just because I know there is one person that cares. And it’s all worth it for the One.

Isn’t it? I love that quote. Yes…I think artists (writers) often forget that the greatest art is us becoming more of who we fully are. And that can only happen when we’re doing what we’re created to do. In our case, writing.